Shy and Wild
by Almost an Actress
Summary: Fluttershy somehow finds herself falling in love with the brash DJ Vinyl Scratch after meeting the mare and mistaking her for a stallion. She is at first shocked, but comes to accept her love. But... what happens when certain friends don't accept this and others need to move on? (Slash, angst, and drama. Shippings are FlutterScratch, SoarinDash, and one-sided AppleDash.)
1. Clubs and Meetings

**Hey everypony! This is the second book in the series I'm doing called **_**Super Random Shippings**_**. This couple was requested by my great friend Shado. It's Vinyl Scratch X Fluttershy. The full summary is that Dashie drags Fluttershy to a nightclub where she meets Vinyl Scratch… but thinks she's a boy! Vinyl is known for being a filly-lover, so when Fluttershy and her begin to date, she's super happy! But… what happens when Flutters finds out her "coltfriend" is actually a "marefriend?!" By the way, I'll write stories based on your suggestions, but they can't be "mane" couples like SoarinDash (even though I love that), Derpy Whooves (even though that's my OTP), and others.**

**-Novi**

**XXX**

"Aw, _c'mon_, Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash pleaded, tugging at her friend's front leg. "It'll be fun. Besides, I can't get anypony else to come with me!"

The yellow Pegasus tugged her front leg back. "I'll get us some more tea," she said quietly, excusing herself to the kitchen. She grabbed a kettle from the stove, filled it with hot water, and waited for it to boil. While she waited, she considered what Rainbow Dash had said to her. She'd blustered into Fluttershy's cottage, waving her hooves around excitedly and announcing that the two were going a nightclub. Fluttershy had no business being a rowdy place like that. Dashie had argued that she was going to meet Soarin for a date, but she needed a wingpony.

Suddenly, the shrill shriek of the kettle brought Fluttershy out of her stupor. She took it off of the stove, pouring some of the water into two fancy teacups and dropping some teabags in. She brought the teacups into the living room, handing one to Rainbow Dash.

"Thanks," Dash said begrudgingly. She nudged a teacup with her bottom foot. "You could've just filled those, you know. Now there are _more_ dishes to wash." Being the lazy mare that she was, she didn't offer to help wash them.

Fluttershy shrugged. "I guess I was in a bit of a tizzy," she said softly.

Dash downed her scalding tea in one gulp, clacking the teacup on the coffee table. "Shy. Seriously. I can't get anypony else to come with me."

Fluttershy took a tentative sip of her tea and then added a pinch of sugar. She took a while before responding. "But… what about Applejack?"

"She's off at the rodeo with Apple Bloom. Something about a sister bonding day."

"What about Twilight?"

"Shy, you know she is. Besides, she's making a report of all the lessons she's learned on friendship."

"Oh," Fluttershy said quietly, taking a sip of her tea. She didn't bother suggesting Rarity or Pinkie Pie. She had a feeling the answers would be similar to the ones she had just heard.

"Besides," Dash said, elbowing Fluttershy good-naturedly, "maybe you'll find a handsome stallion." She chuckled, shaking her head. "Man, tea never sits quite right in me. It's like I swallowed a super hot drink in one gulp and it's just sitting there, you know? Cooling in my stomach."

Fluttershy stifled a giggle. "It is," she said in a whisper.

"Huh?"

"Nothing."

"So, are you coming or are you coming?" Dash asked with pleading eyes.

Fluttershy sighed. She hated to disappoint her friend. "Alright," she said, succumbing. "I'll come."

"Great!" Rainbow Dash crowed, grabbing Fluttershy and hugging her. "You won't regret it, Shy!" With that, she opened her wings. "Get on my back," she said.

"Wha-what?" Fluttershy stammered. "Um… thank you Rainbow Dash. But, uh, I can fly myself."

"Yeah, but you're slow," Rainbow Dash said flatly.

And so the two of them flew all the way to the nightclub, Fluttershy clinging on to her friend for dear life as the sights and sounds of Ponyville whooshed by in a blur. Finally, they got to the club. When they were inside, Fluttershy nearly fainted. The club had pitch black walls and no windows. There was the dizzying flash of neon lights all throughout the nightclub, and pulsing music rocked the walls. Rainbow Dash elbowed Fluttershy and pointed towards the VIP section. "There's Soarin!" she squealed. Sobering up, she said, "I don't wanna leave you, wingpony, but…."

"Go," Fluttershy sighed, wondering why Rainbow Dash had dragged her to the club if she was just going to ditch her. As soon as the word left her mouth, Rainbow Dash flew off to her date and Fluttershy was left standing alone.

Suddenly a voice called, "TIME FOR THE SINGLE'S MINGLE! ALL SINGLE PONIES GET TO THE DANCE FLOOR AND MINGLE!" The voice belonged to the club's owner, a stallion named Rave.

Fluttershy looked down at her hooves, slowly walking towards the middle of the room to the dance floor. She couldn't believe she was doing this. Because she was looking only at her hooves, she didn't see when she crashed into somepony. "Oh, I'm sorry!" Fluttershy cried, looking up. Standing before her was a white unicorn with a wild mane that was different shades of blue. The unicorn was wearing shades so dark you couldn't see his eyes.

"It's alright. I'm Vinyl, Vinyl Scratch," the pony answered in a voice that was surprisingly androgynous; it'd be considered very high and feminine for a male but very low and masculine for a female. He stuck out a white hoof for Fluttershy to take.

"I'm Fluttershy," Fluttershy answered, blushing. This stallion was _so handsome_! She nearly died right on the spot when he shook her hoof back.

"Cute name," Vinyl Scratch said in a laid-back voice, which caused Fluttershy to nearly melt. "I'm the DJ at this place. DJPON-3. But Rave pushed me out. Told me to meet a nice mare." With that, he blushed. "You seem pretty nice."'

"Thanks," Fluttershy said in a faint voice. "You too."

Vinyl took her hoof in his and pulled her to the dance floor.

XXX

Vinyl Scratch couldn't believe her luck. Within five minutes, she'd found a mare who likes mares! She couldn't believe it! And the strangest thing, the mare called her a dude. Whatever, it must've been a mistake.


	2. Dates and Confusion

**Hi, everypony! This is just a quick note to say THANK YOU SO MUCH to Norse98 for permission to use the cover image. Check their art out!**

**XXX**

Fluttershy couldn't stop thinking about the stallion she had met at the nightclub. They were polar opposites, but what was that old saying? "Opposites attract." Indeed it was true. The whole time, the stallion had babbled on about DJ-ing and parties. He was wild, loud, and messy. His voice got even louder and began to slur a bit towards the end of the night. Fluttershy had suspected that the amber liquid in his bottle wasn't sarsaparilla…

She shook her head. "Get back to work, Flutters," she reprimanded herself. "The animals need you." She picked up a bucket of chicken feed and flew over to the coop, scattering the feed around with gentle tosses of her hoof. The chickens waddled out and began to peck and scratch at the feed, causing a small smile to twitch at Fluttershy's lips. She refilled their water containers and flew on to the next enclosure. _I wonder if Vinyl likes animals_, she thought as she absently patted a pig on the head.

Angel Bunny, Fluttershy's resident jerk, narrowed his black eyes in frustration. He crossed his little arms and tapped his foot. His owner had acted like she was a million miles away today, and he didn't like it one bit. He liked all of her attention focused on him, even when was caring for other animals. When he noticed that Fluttershy didn't immediately snap to attention when he tapped his foot, he gritted his teeth. This had gone too far! He gave her tail a harsh tug, squeaking loudly.

Fluttershy flinched, letting out a small squeal of surprise. "Angel!" she gasped. "You startled me!"

The bunny raised one eyebrow and tapped his foot.

"What, sweetie?" Fluttershy asked, filling the pigs' trough with her food scraps and some mash. She picked up the little animal just in time before the pigs ran over and began wildly eating the food. Setting her bunny down on the soft grass, she wondered if Vinyl would like to hang out one day.

Angel face palmed and stormed away.

While Fluttershy would have normally zipped after the young rabbit, today she let him pout. If he wanted to act like a child, he could. She finished feeding her animals and decided to take a few of her dogs for a walk. Flying over to the kennel, she snapped the leashes on a big husky, a hyperactive pug, and a fluffy white mutt. "Where shall we go today, doggies?" she teased softly. The husky, whose name was Sebastian, tugged her in the direction of Ponyville. The little pug, Bruno, pulled his leash in the direction of her duck pond, and the fluffy white mutt flopped on to the grass and promptly fell asleep.

Fluttershy sighed.

XXX

Vinyl Scratch trotted towards the small cottage. _Just ask the pony if they know where Fluttershy lives_, she thought to herself. She was nervous as all get out, but felt like she had a special connection with Fluttershy. She didn't want to know the mare for just one night. She wanted to know her… forever. _Whoa, Vinyl. You're not marryin' the filly. You're just gonna see if she wants to go out sometime. But first, you gotta find out where she lives! _

The tomcolt trotted up to the door of the cottage and knocked. Nopony answered, but she swore she heard somepony in the backyard. Vinyl made it to the yard at a steady clip, calling out, "Hey! Sorry to intrude, but I was wondering if you knew where a mare named Fluttershy lived."

She was shocked to find Fluttershy hovering in midair, looking like she was about to cry. She was holding three leashes in her hooves, and her front legs were being pulled in two directions at once. The dogs on the end of two of the leashes were tugging in different places, and one dog was fast asleep. "Shy!" Vinyl gasped out. She galloped towards the Pegasus and levitated all of the leashes out of her grip. "Need some help?"

Hearing the husky voice of her crush, Fluttershy felt giddy and relieved all at once. She collapsed to the ground, sighing. "Thank you. I've been flying like that for the past ten minutes. I don't think my front legs could've taken any more of that. What are you doing here?"

Vinyl Scratch smiled. "I was gonna ask the pony who lived here if they knew where ya lived. Problem taken care of. Anywhere you want these pups?"

"Oh, yes please," Fluttershy sighed. "I've got an empty field I use to run the dogs over here." She wobbled to her hooves and led Vinyl to the fenced in field, where the mare unclipped the leashes with her magic and set the dogs down. Fluttershy gave the DJ a hug. "Thank you!"

Vinyl Scratch blushed. "Sure. N-no prob. I like all of your animals." She returned the hug and then said, "Uhm… I was wondering if you were busy today. There's a special going on at Sugar Cube Corner."

Fluttershy, who was normally never so direct, said, "Are… are you asking me on a date?"

Vinyl blushed. Of course. She'd gotten it wrong. The mare probably just saw her as a friend. "Uhm… sorry. I mean, I think I misread you. You're obviously not into-" She couldn't bring herself to say "mares." She just couldn't. She scratched a white hoof in the dirt. "I, uh… I'll go now. Nice house." With that, the unicorn turned around, wishing for her club-shades so that they would shield her crying from the world.

Fluttershy yelped. "No! You got it right, Vinyl! I mean, uh, I do like you. We've only known each other for a little bit, but I really do like you. I'd be happy to go a date with you." She blushed and smiled lightly. "I need to get ready first, though. Maybe you could meet me here in about an hour?"

Vinyl's tears vanished instantly. "See you in an hour," she said with a sunny smile before galloping away.

Fluttershy grinned so hard she thought her face would crack. She flew over to the dog field and scooped up the sleepy white mutt, giving it a rib-cracking hug and squealing. "Oh, Tabitha!" she cooed to the dog, "I'm just so excited!" She carried the dog over to her kennel and sat her down it, locking the door once she was done. She did the same with Sebastian the husky and Bruno the pug and then flew up to her cottage. "Okay," Fluttershy murmured to herself once she was inside, "I have 45 minutes left." She soaked in a soothing bath for a few minutes, cleaning herself up and brushing her mane and tail until they were smooth and shiny. She put on a short black skirt a white blouse, then tore them off, deeming them too formal.

Half a dozen outfits later, the shy caretaker decided upon wearing the black skirt from her first outfit with a gray T-shirt. She checked the time and flew outside, surprised to find the DJ there already. He was wearing nothing, which Fluttershy didn't find odd at all, considering his laid-back personality. "Hi, Vinyl," she said shyly.

Vinyl laid back his ears and smiled. "Hi, Fluttershy," he answered. "Ready to go?"

Fluttershy nodded with a smile. She fell into step with the DJ as they walked to Sugar Cube Corner. They trotted in a comfortable silence all the way there, and Fluttershy was relieved to find that Pinkie Pie had the day off. Not that she didn't love the pink party pony, but sometimes she didn't know when to keep her mouth shut, or give ponies their personal space, or when to stop being so overbearing, or-

Well, the point was Pinkie Pie could be a little much sometimes.

The two were seated in a private booth in the back with a slightly odd look from Mrs. Cake when she sat them. Vinyl Scratch took a risk and put her hoof over Fluttershy's. When the mare didn't remove it, Vinyl blushed but kept her hoof where it was.

XXX

Mrs. Cake trotted to the counter and began to fill two glasses from the soda fountain. She turned to her husband, who was taking care of their foals while they ran the store. "Carrot, would you like me to take over with the foals?" she asked.

"Yes, please, Cup," Mr. Cake answered. He got to his hooves and passed a sleeping Pound Cake to his wife.

She took the little cream-colored Pegasus and cradled him in the crook of her front leg. "I just saw the oddest thing," she said.

"What's that, dear?" Mr. Cake asked his wife, ruffling his daughter's mane.

"I just saw Fluttershy out there with that one DJ. Uh… Vinyl Scratch, I think. The oddest thing: they were on a date!"

Mr. Cake loaded the sodas on a tray and thought about this for a moment. "Huh," he said. There was no unkindness or revulsion in his voice, just gentle thoughtfulness. "Never pegged Fluttershy as a fillyfooler."


	3. Discoveries and Kisses

While the Cake Family was perfectly respectable – and respectful – the matriarch of the pair was a bit of a blabbermouth. It all started at her yoga class when she let it slip that a sweet young couple had been on a date at the Corner.

"Oh, who?" her best friend, a flower shop worker named Roseluck, asked.

"That shy Pegasus Fluttershy and that one DJ Vinyl Scratch," Mrs. Cake said, doing a downward dog on her blue yoga mat. Roseluck had a bit of trouble doing the yoga position, so the conversation was silenced for a few minutes. The yoga teacher announced a ten minute break and trotted off to get some water. Mrs. Cake picked up a banana and absently chewed on it when her best friend trotted up again.

"Fluttershy and the DJ, you say?" the cream-colored mare murmured, mostly to herself. She looked up at her longtime friend. "Fluttershy… never pegged her as the type to go for a filly."

Mrs. Cake nodded. "I'm not judging in the slightest, of course. I agree with you, though, dearie."

The second time Mrs. Cake let it slip was in the market to her friends Daisy and Lily. Well, the point is all of Ponyville knew by the end of the week. Rainbow Dash decided to confront her shy friend at their weekly hang out session. Knowing how sensitive Fluttershy could be, Rainbow Dash decided to handle the situation with gentle tact instead of her usual brash abrasiveness. She brought up the issue over tea. "So… Shy. I heard you had a new filly- Er… friend," she said, unsure of how to start the confrontation.

"Oh, yes," Fluttershy answered dreamily. She laid her ears back. "Vinyl Scratch. He's this really great stallion I met when we were at that nightclub. He's very different from me, but very… nice."

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. "He?" she questioned.

"Oh, yes," Fluttershy giggled lightly. She took a sip of her tea. "He." She giggled again. "You make it sound like he's a mare and I didn't know it!"

"_He?!_" Rainbow sputtered. It took a few moments before she could speak again. When she did, her face was grave and serious – even slightly somber. "Oh, no. Shy, you don't think…? You're not…? You didn't know…?" She took a deep breath. "Uhm… we need to talk, Shy. I'm a tomcolt, right? My voice is a little deep for a mare. I've been mistaken for a colt before when I was younger." She wiped her brow, wondering how her sensitive friend was going to take what she about to say. "I don't know how to tell you this, but… your coltfriend is a mare."

Fluttershy let out a slightly hysterical giggle. As much as she wanted to believe that Rainbow was joking, she just couldn't. Rainbow would never try to dupe Fluttershy with a cruel joke. And in all honestly… it made sense. His – _her_, she corrected herself – androgynous voice, the second day they had known each other when he –_she_ – had scratched at the hoof and said 'You're not into….' It made sense. "Oh… oh my," Fluttershy murmured. She laid her ears back. "Vinyl Scratch is a… mare?"

Rainbow nodded. "I thought something was up. It's circulating around town that you're a fillyfooler. They said you went on a date with Vinyl Scratch, and that you looked pretty moony-eyed."

Fluttershy just uttered a squeak.

"I mean… if you still decide you like her, that's fine. I don't care one way or the other. Soarin's brother is a coltcuddler." She shrugged. "Nopony cares." She put her front leg around Fluttershy and gave her a squeeze. "You're still my best friend, Shy."

Fluttershy's wings drooped. "Vinyl Scratch is a mare," she repeated, but this time it wasn't a question. "I… I'm in love with a mare."

"That's not a bad thing," Rainbow interjected.

"I know," Fluttershy said, and flew away as fast as she could, tears streaming down her face. She needed to find Vinyl Scratch and confront her about this. Since they'd been together for a week, she knew where Vinyl lived. She flew up to the house and pounded on the door, choking out, "We need to talk!"

The snow-colored unicorn opened the door and gasped. Her marefriend was practically on the verge of histrionics. "Shy!" she gasped. "What's wrong?"

"You're a mare!" Fluttershy cried.

Vinyl was confused. "Uh… yeah. What about it?"

"You're not a stallion!" the Pegasus shrieked. "You're a… a… filly-lover!"

Vinyl was utterly puzzled. She pushed her unstyled mane back behind her ears. Since it didn't have globs of manespray and gel in it, it was rather long and unkempt, but in a cute way. "What are you talking about, Shy?" the DJ asked. "You knew that from the minute we met. Is there something wrong?" She was reminded about how her first marefriend, a cellist named Octavia, had ditched her for a stallion. "You didn't think I was a…" She trailed off, the cogs in her brain grinding to a halt. She couldn't speak. Finally, though, she emitted a choked gasping. "You thought I saw a stallion," she managed.

Fluttershy's wings were straight up in the air with… what? Anger? She knew she didn't have the grounds to be angry at the DJ, but she couldn't help it. She was confused and frustrated. "I… I'm sorry," she whispered at last.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Vinyl muttered glumly. "It was just a mistake." She scratched her hoof on the concrete of her stoop. "You're not a filly-lover, I can tell. Maybe we can still be friends." With that, she turned around, throwing a: "See you around, Shy" over her shoulder.

Fluttershy watched Vinyl trot sulkily into the house. She couldn't let her get away. "Wait," she said quietly. Vinyl turned. "Vinyl… I really like you. I don't care if you're a stallion or a… mare. I don't know whether I'm a fillyfooler or straight or both. But… I want to be with you."

And that was the first kiss.


	4. Lost Friends and Dreams

Rarity's horn glowed with a light blue aura as she levitated a white robe around herself. She tied the drawstring with her magic and then did the same for her sunny-colored friend. "Darling," she said as the spa ponies, Aloe and Lotus, ran about gathering supplies for the friends' weekly pampering session.

"Yes?" Fluttershy answered meekly, lying down on a long table. She was about to get the massage she usually looked forward to every week, but now she was just nervous and tense.

"I heard you have a new… special somepony," Rarity said carefully, relaxing as Lotus's hooves worked wonders for her tense shoulders.

"Uhm… yes," Fluttershy said in an equally cautious voice. Aloe began to massage her, scolding the Pegasus about her tenseness. "Sorry," Fluttershy practically whispered to the spa pony, and then turned back to Rarity. "Vinyl Scratch," she added to be polite. Even though she knew mentioning the unicorn's name would make their discussion more awkward, it wouldn't be polite to Vinyl to not mention her name.

"Ah, yes," Rarity said, trying to conceal her disgusted expression. "The DJ, I do believe." Upon seeing Fluttershy's nod, she continued, "I was given the impression you didn't know she was a mare?"

Fluttershy nodded mutely, blushing. She let her long pink mane fall into her eyes and suddenly found the table very interesting. When Rarity lightly cleared her throat, she murmured, "Yes."

Rarity nodded in a sagely way. "I see," she said. "So, have you broken it off with her yet?" She knew it would be hard for Fluttershy to muster up the gumption to break up with the filly-loving unicorn, but it was for the best. _After all_, she thought, smiling to herself, _it isn't as if Fluttershy would continue dating the mare! _She chuckled lightly. Even though Fluttershy was very sensitive, and she would never say this aloud, the fashionista found it quite hilarious that her shy friend had mistaken the DJ for a mare. It seemed comical, to say the least.

Fluttershy squeaked. As Aloe _tsk_ed to herself about Fluttershy _still _being tense, the Pegasus wondered how she was going to break it Rarity that, in fact, she was still dating Vinyl Scratch. Finally, though, she yelped, "I never broke up with her!"

Rarity chuckled at the joke, and then realized that her friend wasn't kidding. "Wh-what?" she stammered. "You haven't…? Why not…?" Both of the sentences trailed off into squeaky-sounding questions. "You can't possibly… _like_ this filly, can you?" The very idea made Rarity aghast. _Imagine! A filly-lover in _**my**_ group of friends!_ she thought, disgusted.

"I… I do," Fluttershy murmured almost inaudibly. "Rarity, I really like Vinyl. She's really nice and sweet and funny and…. Well, she's a very good friend. I don't think I'll break up with her just because she's a mare." Fluttershy was surprised at her assertiveness.

Rarity grimaced. "You're a… _fillyfooler_?!" she shrieked.

Aloe and Lotus stopped massaging the mares and stepped back, agawk. "You're ah… 'ow do you say… fillyfooler?!" Lotus screeched. She pronounced it "feeeeelyfooler."

"I… I don't know!" Fluttershy shouted, covering her face with her hooves. "I don't know, okay?! All I know is that I really like Vinyl Scratch!"

Rarity shuddered. "Girls, would you two be dears and prepare the steam room for us?" the white unicorn asked.

The two spa ponies scuttled away and Rarity and Fluttershy walked into the steam room for some privacy. "How long have you been together?" Rarity asked when they were finally alone.

"Two weeks," Fluttershy said.

"Have you… held hooves?"

Fluttershy remembered back to their first date and nodded shyly.

"Have you… kissed… her?" Rarity asked, struggling with the word "Her."

Fluttershy risked the quietest whisper of, "Yes."

XXX

"Vinyl, she just left!" Fluttershy cried. She was sitting on a grassy hill with her marefriend under an apple tree. The sun shone down on the two, warming their fur. "She left because… she said if I like fillies I was a freak and I didn't deserve to be her friend." She rested her chin on her hooves and whimpered.

Vinyl Scratch started into the sun through her purple-tinted sunglasses and then patted Fluttershy's head. "She's no good," she answered simply, laying her tail over Fluttershy's own. "If she can't accept you, then she's not a good friend."

"I guess," Fluttershy murmured. "She's been my friend since we were just fillies." She leaned into Vinyl's side and closed her eyes, ready for the sweet relief of sleep.

XXX

_The skinny little Pegasus trotted through the perfectly green grasses. The sky was a brilliant blue and the clouds were fat and puffy, like giant marshmallows. A bird sung his heavenly notes… the day was beautiful. But the Pegasus wasn't happy. She had been kicked out of Flight Camp, and was now confined to the ground. Her father, a mild-mannered stallion, and her mother, a soft-spoken mare, understood her sorrow, but weren't about to take a stand._

_ Shyness ran in the family._

_ The filly sighed softly, letting her pink mane fall over one of her bright aqua-colored eyes. She missed her best friend, a spunky sensory overload named Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash had defended Fluttershy's honor, but had knocked her to the ground in doing so. Since she couldn't fly back up, she wasn't allowed back in the camp. Even though she had just discovered the wonders of the ground, she still missed her friend. _

_ "Hello, darling!" a posh voice called._

_ Fluttershy looked up. A little white unicorn was galloping towards her. She was much shorter than Fluttershy, just as Rainbow Dash had been. This wasn't uncommon though, since the Pegasus had had her growth spurt early. Her mother assured her that when she was a full-grown mare and all of the other fillies had had their growth spurts, too, she'd be the same height as everypony. _

_ "Darling?" the white unicorn asked. "Did you not hear me?"_

_ "I heard you," Fluttershy whispered, grinding her hoof into the dirt shyly. "I'm sorry I didn't answer; I got lost in though. Uhm… sorry."_

_ "No matter!" the short pony said with a smile. She stuck out a shiny white hoof. "My name is Rarity!"_

_ Fluttershy shook Rarity's hoof, squeaking out, "Fluttershy!"_

_ "I take it you're quite shy?" Rarity asked. When she saw Fluttershy's tiny nod, the white unicorn gave a blinding smile. "That's quite okay!" she said. "I'm not shy at all! I'm not afraid of a confrontation, and I'm not afraid to stand up for my friends. That's what Mother says. Are you my friend?"_

_ Fluttershy smiled slightly. This filly seemed nice. "Yes," she whispered._

_ "Good! Then we're best friends forever!" With that, she leapt on to Fluttershy, tackling her in a hug. "Nothing will ever rip us apart!" she cried dramatically, staggering backwards and swooning. She got up and winked. "I'm going to be a fashion designer when I grow up," she said. "Mother says that fashion designers are dramatic and shallow, and that's just what I want to be!" Judging by the giant smile on her face, she obviously didn't know that her mother didn't like the career path._

_ "I… I like animals," Fluttershy stammered quietly. "I own a kitty at home. Would you like to see it?" _

_ Rarity nodded, taking Fluttershy's hoof in her own. "C'mon, best friend!" the spunky unicorn squealed, dragging Fluttershy away._

XXX

Fluttershy woke up crying.


	5. Flashbacks and Moving On

**Hi, everypony! I'm sorry for not updating in so long. Like… all of my stories are on hiatus. I've just been so absorbed with **_**Les Miserables**_** that it'd been hard to write for anything else, y'know? I've also been seeing **_**Grease**_** at the local high school every night it performs. So I've been feeling a little bit **_**Grease**_**-y lately. Get it? Get it? No…? Okay. ANYWAY, I decided to update this story. This was originally supposed to be a hilarious, feel-good story, but now it's all dramatic and angsty. Whatever. *Crosses front legs***

**My Sincerest Regards,**

**-Almost Novi**

**XXX**

Fluttershy sat in her cottage under a purple blanket. It had been one week since Rarity's declaration that the two couldn't be friends in Fluttershy was a fillyfooler. The sunny-colored mare let her long mane fall in front of her eyes, and she sniffed softly. Her young pet bunny Angel, who just two weeks ago had been acting childish, was now her biggest comfort. He stroked her mane and squeaked. "I know, Angel Bunny," Fluttershy said softly. "I'm just wallowing."

Angel Bunny tried to smile comfortingly. He patted her hoof.

"Self-pity does nopony any good," she murmured. Even though she was right, she wasn't yet ready to face the world. She flew over to her bookshelf and reached for a light green photo album. The first photo in it was of –surprise, surprise – her and Rarity as foals. Rarity had been tiny compared to Fluttershy. Fluttershy had been tall, gangly, and socially awkward. Her knees were knobby, her mane was too long, and she towered over all of the other fillies and colts. Rarity had been the picture of perfection. Her mane had been perfectly curled, she was just the right height, if a little on the shorter side, and her pelt was always soft and well-combed. In the photo, Fluttershy dressed up as a pirate for Nightmare Night. Rarity was a princess. The two couldn't have looked more different, but they looked very happy. Only Fluttershy had her cutie mark, so they must have been very young.

A memory tore at Fluttershy…

_Rarity was in Fluttershy's bedroom, looking at herself in a full-length mirror. She frowned and tugged at her pink dress. "This is much too poofy!" she announced in a voice that was full of childish displeasure. Her mane was covered in a stereotypical pointy princess hat, with some form of netting cascading off the top. Taffeta? Rarity turned to Fluttershy. "This is a disaster!" she wailed. "This dress is too mauve! Too poofy! I look like a giant pink cotton ball! If Princess Celestia saw me, she wouldn't think I was a Princess! She'd think I was a giant pink blob!"_

_ Fluttershy smiled gently. "You look nice, Rarity. Don't worry." She trotted over to the mirror and looked at herself. Her pink mane was hidden behind a giant black pirate hat. She was wearing a red shirt with poofy white sleeves, and a long black skirt. A fake parrot was glued to the left shoulder of the outfit. "It's me I'm worried about."_

_ Rarity turned to Fluttershy. "Oh, darling! Look at you!" she squealed. "Here I am moaning about my outfit when you look utterly… utterly…" She struggled for words. "FABULOUS!" She jumped up and down with excitement, stumbling on the giant hem of her dress. "I may be drowning in this dress, but you look beautiful!" She used her magic to bring a pair of scissors over and snipped at her costume. When she was done, the dress looked much better. It was less poofy, and she had decided to go without the hat. "Let me make an adjustment," she whispered, sticking her tongue out in concentration. _

_ Fluttershy knew how Rarity got sometimes. She could be self-absorbed, but was the best friend a filly could ask for. The shy pony knew that when Rarity got into a fashion zone, it was best not to disturb her. After about ten minutes, Rarity had completely modified the previously-hideous dress. It was now form-fitting, and the only poofy part was the sleeves. "You look like a real Princess," Fluttershy said quietly. _

_ Rarity turned to her friend. "You're my best friend in the world, Fluttershy," she said softly. With that, she levitated a Polaroid camera with her magic and leaped into the air, tackling Fluttershy in a hug. The shy Pegasus fanned out her wings in surprise and smiled a gleaming smile, aware of Rarity hanging onto her neck and the bright flash of the camera. _

XXX

Fluttershy smiled sadly and turned to the next page. It was a photo of Rarity alone. She looked happier than she had ever looked, her eyes wide with childish wonder. She had just gotten her cutie mark, and Fluttershy had been lucky enough to snap a picture.

_The school play was in full swing, the young fillies and colts swaying in their sparkling, professional-looking costumes. Rarity's big blue eyes filled with happy tears, and she lifted a white hoof. "They're perfect," she whispered. "My horn led me to them." She tapped her horn, and a spurt of blue magic crackled into the air. She turned to her best friend. "Fluttershy… I've never been happier!" she squealed. Just then, three bright blue sapphires popped onto her flank in a burst of bright light. "MY CUTIE MARK!" she screamed._

_ Fluttershy smiled silently and snapped a picture._

XXX

"Do you remember when I got my cutie mark, Angel Bunny?" Fluttershy asked.

The little rabbit nodded happily.

"I was knocked off of the cloud, remember? Rainbow Dash defended my honor in that race, but she knocked into me. I fell, and my wings stuck to my sides! It was so scary! And my mane was flying and I was screaming and flailing and-" She paused for breath. "It was the scariest thing I've experienced in my life," she whispered. "But… I learned the importance of the ground. And… there were butterflies in every shade! Baby blue… pale yellow… coral pink. And there were little bees buzzing around. And… bunnies were hopping along. That's how I met you!"

Angel Bunny smiled and patted her on the hoof.

"I need to go outside," Fluttershy said with a burst of bravery. "I'm done hiding!" She flew into the air and discarded the blanket, tossing the photo album aside. She opened her cottage door and nearly crashed into Rainbow Dash. "Oh… hi, Rainbow!" Fluttershy said excitedly.

"Oh… uh… hey, Fluttershy," Rainbow Dash said with an uneasy smile. "Unh… have you talked to Rarity lately?"

Fluttershy flinched. "Yes. She, um, isn't very happy with my decision to stay with Vinyl. But… I've been thinking about it a lot. I think that it's… it's not very fair of her to judge me for who I love. I… uh… uhm…" she murmured, trailing off into shyness. "Well, I really like Vinyl Scratch. I don't know if I'm a mare-lover, but I know that I really like her." She took a deep breath. "That's it."

Rainbow Dash smiled and punched Fluttershy gently in the wing. "You've got a good head on your shoulders, kid," she said with an easy grin. "And… uh… I have some news." She took a deep breath. "I'm moving to Manehattan."

"What?!" Fluttershy cried.

"Soarin and I have been dating for a while," Rainbow muttered.

"Two weeks!" Fluttershy shrieked.

Rainbow flinched. "Unh… here's the thing: We've actually been going out for almost a year. I, uh, just didn't tell anypony."

Fluttershy blanched. "Wow."

"We're moving in together," Rainbow Dash said, scratching at the dirt. "So… yeah."

Fluttershy sighed. What else could go wrong?


	6. Anger and Outbursts

**Sorry for these hiatuses, everypony! I've decided to update this story, but I'm still doing **_**Bully War (Part Two)**_**. Don't worry! I promise I haven't abandoned all of you, but tech week is going on in our play, and tech week is HELL. This week will be insane for me! Seriously… I have to stay at school for nine hours two days in a row… **

**My Sincerest Regards,**

**-Almost an Actress (Novi)**

**XXX**

The five ponies were gathered in the Golden Oaks Library, each with a steaming cup of tea sitting in front of them. There were mini sandwiches sat out on the table and a fire blazed in the background while the rain pattered softly against the windows outside. It would have been a peaceful, friendly scene from the outside… until you saw the expressions on their faces. Rainbow Dash looked guilty and sheepish as she picked apart a sandwich without actually eating it. Applejack looked conflicted, as if she was angry, sad, and confused all at once. She was facing the fire so she didn't have to talk to any of her friends, staring into her cup of tea. Twilight Sparkle looked dismayed, was sipping her tea with strange gusto. Pinkie Pie's mane had flattened and lay against her skull as her ears flicked downward. Rarity looked incredulous, and was obviously trying to act as if nothing was wrong. Finally, though, Rainbow Dash broke the silence.

"Will you guys just say something?" she snapped, throwing her cyan hooves into the air with frustration and scattering bits of ripped up sandwich like confetti. They fell down, peppering her mane.

Applejack stared into the fire, letting the heat burn her tears away. She turned to face her friend and took a shuddering breath. "Ah could say a few things," she growled. "Like why you've been datin' this stallion fer a year and haven't bothered to tell any of us 'bout him?! Like why yer movin' to a whole new city hundreds 'a miles away?!"

Pinkie Pie looked up with tearful blue eyes. "Dashie… we're your friends. Why are you leaving us?"

Rainbow Dash flinched. "I'm not leaving you guys. It's not like you're not my friends anymore! I'm just… ready to move on. I mean… Ponyville is a really small town. I can't be happy here forever." She sighed, grabbing a second mini sandwich and ripping it to bread-and-lettuce smithereens. "Besides, the ponies here aren't very accepting. I mean… they're gossips. Look at poor Shy and Vinyl Scratch! Everypony has something to say about their relationship. _Everypony_." She shot Rarity an icy glance. "In Manehattan, Fluttershy wouldn't have lost friends the way she lost them in Ponyville. I guess that's part of the reason I'm moving there, so something like that won't happen to me. Think about it!" She was getting rather angry, and flew into the air, ignoring her ripped up pieces of bread. She pasted on a shocked face. "_Look at them! A Wonderbolt and a _weather pony_! He can do so much better than her!" _she mocked bitterly. "That's what his mother – resident of Ponyville – said about me."

Twilight Sparkle stopped sipping her tea as if it were a lifeline. She wiped her lips with a napkin. "Rainbow… not all of the ponies in Ponyville are as judgmental as you make them out to be," she said calmly.

"Well… Rarity is!" Rainbow screamed. She couldn't help it. Ever since Fluttershy had told her of Rarity's bigoted views, Rainbow had wanted to ream the unicorn. Rarity turned to look at Rainbow Dash, incredulous words forming on her lips.

"I do not-" she started, but Rainbow Dash quickly usurped her chance to talk.

"Oh, yes you do," Rainbow growled. "You're bigoted and small-minded and-"She began to ran out of steam, realizing that she was insulting one of her best friends. _But wait_, Rainbow Dash thought, _she's not really one of my best friends. We never hang out unless we're forced to, we don't have anything in common, and she's actually pretty rude. _"...and I can't believe you spurned Fluttershy just because she has difference preferences than you. She's in love with a filly – so?"

Rarity glared, her big blue eyes full of incredulousness. "_Excuse_ me, Ms. Dash," she all but snarled, "I do believe you are out of line! Who are you to tell me I'm small-minded? You don't pick up a book unless you're _forced_, and I've heard you say plenty of bigoted things in our time together!" She went on to describe a list of times when Rainbow Dash had said offensive things. The list stacked up, and most of it was true, but Rainbow was fuming.

"This isn't about me; it's about you!" the cyan Pegasus cried. "You need to apologize to Shy! Do you know how much she's cried over this? Do you, Rarity?"

The white unicorn paused for a moment. "She's… cried?"

"OF COURSE!" Rainbow thundered. She crossed her front legs. "Maybe it's a good thing I'm moving away from all of you," she groused. She shook her head and flew away.

Applejack turned back to the flames, an empty look settling upon her face. Rainbow Dash had been dating a stallion for a whole year, and didn't bother to tell her best friends in the world about it. Of course… a year was a short amount of time, but it was also long. Fifty-two weeks, three hundred sixty-five days, eight thousand seven hundred sixty-five hours, and too many minutes and seconds to count. She picked up her tea and sipped at it. Of course it was cold by now, but it gave the orange-hued Earth pony something to do. She shook her head softly, slipping her cowpony hat further over her eyes. Why hadn't Rainbow Dash told them about her and Soarin? Did she think they would react as Soarin's mother had? Did she think they wouldn't approve? And who needed a friend's approval to make a love-related decision anyway? And – for that matter – who knew Rainbow Dash was into stallions? She'd never dated when Applejack and the rest of the gang had been in school, and it was quietly assumed that she was attracted to mares, at least by ponies such as her and Twilight. It didn't matter too much, and there had always been doubt that it was even true, so the friends left the subject alone. But over time, Applejack had begun to develop feelings for the sensory explosion shoved into a pony's body. At first, it was just a spontaneous blush or listening a bit more raptly than usual, but it began to develop over time into full-blown love… and now Rainbow Dash was going away.

XXX

**Author's Note: Well, how's that for angst? Man, angst annoys me! So why do I write it? I dunno. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter, and a HUGE thank you to all of the reviewers! *Hands you all cookies* Sorry if I'm bashing Rarity too hard. It just seems what with her social image and such that she would be the most bigoted of the Mane Six. *Shrug***


End file.
